BossieNot Pictured

Bossie's penchant for retro-future vibes emerged over a string of singles that have been trickling out since 2015. Now, with debut Not Pictured, songwriter Anne Douris spins '80s touchstones — Cyndi Lauper, True Blue-era Madonna, the Cure — into a blueprint for pop idolatry: its nine songs pair the era's vibes with sharp modern critique.

Not Pictured's best moments find Douris delivering rhythm-heavy pop gems with sky-roaming choruses. "There Will Be Time" launches from a big, bass-y groove into the titular reassurance at its chorus, while "Strawberry Moon" brushes off some unsolicited advice with cosmic guitars and big vocal hooks. Elsewhere, Bossie takes a slow-burn approach that pays off: "As Good As It Gets" speak-sings a story of timing your texts, making a missed reference to a romantic interest, and slowly bringing that person around to its source years later.

Not Pictured doesn't stray far too from its revivalist era of choice, but it's effective; across the board, Douris skilfully folds earthbound lyrics into sweeps of synth-y space-rock, using pop nostalgia to make comment on the modern day.
(Culvert Music)